Time Of Our Lives
by Softrock-showtunesgirlscout22
Summary: She woke up before Rick. Feeling the weight of his arms around her body, she moved them away, not before placing a kiss softly on his cheek. Today was Saturday so it was sort of a lazy day in the Castle family home. Post 8X22. Decided to add one more chapter. Finished.
1. Chapter 1

**Time of our lives**

She woke up before Rick. Feeling the weight of his arms around her body, she moved them away, not before placing a kiss softly on his cheek. Today was Saturday so it was sort of a lazy day in the Castle family home.

Lily would be awake already. She had always been her early riser. Even when she was a baby, now more so as she was leaving childhood behind. A bit ironic really. She like Alexis had broken all the rules of being a normal kid even though Lily hadn't had to deal with all her sister had.

"Good morning mom." Lily said as soon as she spotted Beckett. "Dad left some coffee for you" God bless her heart. God bless her husband.

"How long have you been up sweetie?" Kate asked as she joined Lily in the kitchen. She was always in the kitchen. Her cooking skills improving everyday as she wanted to be a cook. Far away from her parent's career choice but an artist like Castle.

"Not too long. I just had this idea and had to try it out before I forgot…"

Yeah so much like her father. She would often find Castle typing furiously at weird hours at night. By now she had found the writing somehow soothing, sometimes so much that she'd just watch him so deep in thought and she loved it.

"Of course you did." Kate smiled. "Anyone else awake yet?"

"I don't think so." Lily said. "Hey mom…"

"Yeah sweetie?" Lily turned all serious. Like she was about to confess something. Like the time she and the boys had broken Lucy and Beckett had been their accomplice so Rick wouldn't find out. "What's going on? Talk to me."

"So… you remember Stephan?" Oh yes she did. The boy they had met at The Hamptons last spring break. The one who lived in Paris and spoke perfect French. Kate nodded. "He's coming to New York for a while and well…"

"You're going to go see him." It wasn't a question. It was her first crush and it was beyond adorable.

"He said he wanted to go over to his house, cause he's throwing a party." Lily bit her lip. "But I…."

"Lily." Beckett reached for her hand. "Of course you can go."

"Really?" Oh god, she almost sounded like a teenager. Not yet please. "Will you ask Dad?" Lily spoke softly. Kate mouthed something at her child and she smiled.

Mama was all over it.

"Ask me what?" Came Rick's voice from behind Kate. "Good morning ladies. What are you two doing? Plotting?"

"Of course not babe." Kate smiled as she kissed him softly. "Lily was just telling me about a party she was invited to."

"Oh." Rick held up a cup of coffee to his lips. "Really?"

"And who else is going to this party?" He inquired.

"Stephan said you could all go."

Oh. No. Rick almost chocked on the coffee.

"Stephan?"

"Yeah babe, remember Lily's friend from The Hamptons?"

"Oh yes, I am very well aware of who Stephan is."

"Can we go daddy? Please?" Oh no. The Lily Castle look. The one which made her father drop the act.

"If your mother agrees." Rick turned to Kate. "We can go."

"We can go. Make it a family thing." Kate smiled. Lily's eyes lighted up.

And just like that she was gone off from the kitchen and to her room as she had gone to call her friend. Her friend who was a boy.

"You okay there babe?" Kate asked him.

"No. we're not going back to the beach house. Ever."

"Rick…"

"Don't ´Rick me´ I don't need it. I need my daughter to stay little and not start to be interested n boys."

"Castle." She barely called him Castle now. It was mostly we just drop the subject? She's just so excited."

"Well, I'm not."

"Dad. Can we make pancakes?" Lily came back with a big smile. Even bigger now at the prospect of the party, although getting to cook with her dad could easily be Lily's favorite thing.

Yeah, she was still daddy's little girl.

Castle kissed his daughter's forehead. "You up for making breakfast with your old man kiddo?"

"When am I not ready?" Lily mused. Kate watched as both her artistic easy goers with fascination. Lilly had just turned 11 and she was looking like her more every day. So much that when they cooked, Lily and Rick seemed in sync like he and Beckett did while solving murders.

 _She still remembered the first time she had seen them like this._

 _She was pregnant and he was in charge of Lily duty. She could barely stand up so she had manage to make it to the kitchen to watch them. Lily was daddy's special helper for sure._

 _And over pancakes, a star had been born._

"Smells like food!" Jake came into the room. He was tall, blue eyes dark brown hair. Same childish manner as his father. "I'm so hungry."

"You are always hungry." Lily smiled.

"And yet I am always fed too little." Jake joked. "Mom!."

"Nice of you to notice me." Kate smirked. He was seven and half, tall and yet he was still in his prime to grow taller, Kate was sure he'd tower over her at any minute. "Good morning."

"So, what are we making?" Jake asked. Castle and Lily shared a look.

"Good question Jake. Why don't you start by setting up the table?" Rick mused.

"You heard the captain kid." Kate brushed her son's head softly. "Get to it."

And so he did. Rick and Jake were to peas in a pod. Both in personality and looks. He was the ever sweet, curious and inquisitive one. Where's Reece?" Kate asked.

"I'm not doing dishes twice, you better get him up." Rick smiled.

Yes cooking and doing the dishes. Kate loved Saturday mornings.

Kate walked away from the kitchen. To the deep end of the loft. The twin's room door was slightly opened. She stepped in. The darkness of the lowered drapes loomed over it.

It was your typical almost 8 year old bedroom. By two. Still not too grown up and yet not so little anymore.

You could see perfectly which side belonged to which twin. Reece's side was dark green and Jake's red and black.

Reece was her Zen. Jake was… a Castle.

"Good morning sleepy head." Kate sat by the side of the bed and brushed the covers off her son gently. She was surprised when she found Reece staring back at her. "How'd you sleep?" Reece smiled. "Couldn't put it down huh?"

Kate was of course referring to the Harry Potter book her son was holding close to his chest. He was her and Castle's kid alright. Stealing every possible moment to get a hold of a book.

"I tried. But it's just so good mom!" It was so adorable to see the excitement written on his face.

Yep. This one was Rick's son too.

A few moments later, Kate and Reece emerged from the room and back into the kitchen, where they heard laughter.

That was what the loft was now. A place for family, love and all that was good in her life. It was a place where she had almost died and lost Rick and yet it was their home.

She stared at her children, Jake made some joke and his brother made a face. Lily rolled her eyes at both of them.

"Look, there's mommy!" Rick turned around holding out the youngest of the Castle brood.

Her four year old.

Their unexpected miracle.

Guess Doyle hadn't counted on that fourth baby coming into the picture.


	2. Chapter 2

**Time of our lives**

 **Thought this deserved a second part. Hope you like it**

It wasn't easy to make it out of the house with four kids and Rick. The biggest kid of all. Kate laughed as he kept pouting about going to Lily's party.

"A pool party Kate." He had told her, emphasizing the world pool. Instead of making this a fun family outing he was making it bigger than it really was.

"Lily just turned 11, Castle." Again with the Castle, she was mad. "She can't possibly be thinking about boys, not too seriously anyway and if you blow up her first crush..."

"Fine." She had given him ´the look. "I´ll let it go."

"Promise?"

"For now at least. Yes." Kate gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "Let's go then"

* * *

"Kate, Rick." Stephan's parents said in a thick accent. "Nice to see you again, I see everyone is here."

"I hope that's okay, Lily said..."

"Of course, the more... the merrier as you Americans say." Pierre said. "It's good to have you in our home."

"Are you going to the Hampton's later this summer?" Janice asked Kate.

"Actually no. We're going to Disneyland..." Rick said.

"We.." Kate shot him a look. "Oh yeah, we think the kids are in the right age and all to enjoy it." They said their goodbyes to Stephan's parents, Kate holding on to Nate as they walked, the twins and Lily had long departed from their sight by now. "Disneyland?"

"Yep. Just came to me. Fun huh?" Kate rolled her eyes. "Yes. You might as well take Reece to Universal."

"Who you do think will be more exicited about Harry Potter?" He said like a little kid. Point taken. She would take pleasure in listening to Rick read Harry Potter with Reece. It was just something...magical about him interacting with their children that made Kate forget how overprotective and annoying he could be at times.

Almost.

They took cover in from the heat and began to get ready for the pool, soon enough Lily and the twins had joined them."Mom! Can we go into the pool already?"

"Please?" Reece echoed his brother's words.

"Sunscreen first guys," Kate said as she moved to pour a drip of it on each one, a groan from both her boys as she went in full mommy mode, Castle moved on to help with Nate. Lily doing it on her own.

"All done." Rick said in victory. Oh sure he only had one kid.

"Me too!" Lily smiled. "Can I go in?"

"Sure Lilis, go ahead." Kate smiled. She turned to see as Rick watched her join her friends.

"Can we go too?" Jake asked. Kate turned serious for a moment.

"Best behavior Got it? Or I'll take you out of the pool before you can say Castle" Jake glanced over at Rick. Her boys the eternal plotters, but when mama got serious she meant business.

"Why is it always me?" Jake groaned. "Daddy gets in trouble too."

"Yes well, daddy is on time out right now, so you're on your own."

"Why is daddy on time out?" Reece asked. Rick rolled his eyes. "Does this mean he can't come to the pool?"

Kate lived for her sons's inoccence. In her line of work she craved for moments like this.

"No buddy, it just means that if I don't play my cards right, mommy might be mad at me for a while." Rick mused. "Who's ready for the pool?" He put Nate on his shoulders and held on to his Green Lantern floaties.

* * *

"This is nice huh?" Kate said as she and Rick sat by the edge of the pool, watching the kids play near by, her eye specially on her toddler.

"Yeah it is." He leaned in to kiss her. "Sorry about earlier"

"Babe, I get it. I do. I don't know how long it is going to be until our kids don't need us, but they still do and I want to enjoy having them all under one roof."

"Unlike Alexis." Rick mused. "I might invite her and Scott over to Disneyland."

"Holding on to the child inside?" Kate smiled.

"Yeah, is that desperate?"

"Not too much." Ah yes, Alexis who had made Kate a grandmother at age 40. She was already married by the time she became a mother and Scott was one of Castle's favorite people. A game designer. A writer. Match made in heaven.

"Mommy! Help!" She heard Reece squeal as Jake was splashing him with water.

"Jake..." Kate's voice was a warning. What began as a playful banter was turning into one of Jake's misbehaving moments."Want me to do the count?" His blue eyes shined as he waved his head.

"You should let him just confront Jake, Kate. That builds up character." Rick said. "You can't protect him forever."

"Wanna bet?" She said quickly. Oh wait.

"It stings huh?"

"You did tell me people would do anything for their kids." She said with a sigh.

"Including skipping The Hampton's." Rick added in. He brushed Kate's cheek with his finger. She watched him jump into the pool, quickly holding on to Nate as he struggled to reach him.

"I can do it daddy" He said with a pout,

"You can? No need for Green Lantern anymore then?" Nate nodded. Castle smiled at his child's determination. "Why don't we swim towards mommy?" Nate glanced back at Kate from Rick's arms, her body language changing when he took the foaties off.

"Rick..."

"Don't worry Beckett, this little guy is ready for a little show off. He can do it." Castle smirked as he placed Nate back on the water. The little boy looked back at his dad for reassurance.

And off he went. Reaching the edge of the pool under the watchful eye of his parents..

And Kate's heart broke a little, full of pride and emotion for her baby,

Because that's what Nate was, her last baby. She remembered when she had told Rick she was pregnant. Alexis wasn't as wrong as they thought when she'd said their kids would grow up together.

"Mommy, I did it! I'm a show off! Did you see?"

"I did baby, great job," Beckett suppressed a laugh. Her son's was a Castle smile for sure.

* * *

They had barely seen Lily during the party, running around the yard with her friends or splashing around the pool, a glance of approval occasionally thrown at her parents, Rick began to relax, Kate was in the same boat he was, struggling with her boys growing up.

When they got home, Rick held on to Nate as Beckett led the other tired kids to bed, all three of them dragging their feet.

"Good night Lily." Kate kissed her child's forehead softly.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Did dad have fun?" She bit her lip. Just like she did when she was worried.

"Today was a good day Lils, why wouldnt he?"

"Cause he doesnt like me hanging out with Stephan." Lily said sadly.

"What?"

"I heard you two talking.."

"That," Kate smiled. "Daddy's just being a bit... overprotective, he just wants you to stay little for a little while longer."

"Oh." Lily turned her head deep in thought. "Is that why we are going to Disneyland?"

"Yes, partly, but who you think will be the most excited there?"

"Him." Lily assured her.

"Exactly" Beckett smiled. "All is good sweetie."

"How are my two favorite ladies?" Came Rick's voice from the threshold.

"How long have you been standing there?" Kate asked her husband.

"Long enough, mind giving us a minute?" Kate smiled softly, kissing Lily's cheek."Hey Lils."

"So I heard we're going to Disneyland..." Lilly said distracting herself with a toy.

"Yes, I might have mentioned that, unless you want to go to the beach house." He sighed.

"No... I think I'm going to like this vacation better if it's just us." Lily smiled.

"Me too."

"Daddy?"

"Yeah?"

"I promise I'll tell you when I like a boy okay?" Rick's heart flinched.

"So I can be ready huh? Okay. Sounds like a plan."

"Okay." Lily said softly, her eyes struggling to stay open. "Good night daddy."

"Good night Lily. I love you."

* * *

"So you are officially not the only nine year old on a sugar rush roaming around the house. Those two had too much sugar. "

"They're not even eight yet." Rick said with a smile. "Tired Senator?"

"A little." Kate got into bed next to her husband. "What are you doing?"

"Research" He said simply.

"On?"

"My next book. Maybe."

"Really?"

"I said maybe."

"Can I contribute?" She said softly kissing him on the cheek. "I miss our literate contributions."

"I do too. How come we don't do them more often?" He hissed under her touch.

"Mommy? Daddy?"

The door.

"That's why." Kate smiled as she turned to their youngest son."How come you're not sleepy?" Nate shrugged, making his way to Kate. She picked him up and placed him on her lap.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Can I have my floaties back?" the oddness of the question made Castle look away from his computer. "Please?"

His tone was so serious it was adorable. "Of course, they are in the downstairs closet buddy, safe and sound."

"Kay then." Nate said with a smile. He cuddled closer to Kate. His eyes closing slowly.

"Guess one of them was tired. Yet he is as overly careful as you are Kate." Castle smiled as he watched Nate's eyes flutter shot. "Here, I'll take him to bed."

"Thank you." Kate smiled, handing the little boy to him. Nate cuddled closer to Castle's chest. "Hey Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Guess we still have a good few years left huh?" She smiled.

"The best." He said winking at her.

* * *

 **Liked it?**


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